Radiorespirometric studies in genus Neisseria. 2. The catabolism of glutamate and fumarate.

The catabolism of glutamate and fumarate was studied by radiorespirometry in selected Neisseria species. The tricarboxylic acid cycle is functioning in all species tested, in spite of the known absence of in vitro malate dehydrogenase activity in N. meningitidis, N. gonorrhoeae and N. cinerea. The results imply a pyridine nucleotide independent oxidation of malate. The oxidation of glutamate is less complete in the presence of phosphate. In N. meningitidis, N. perflava, N. flava, N. subflava and N. lactamica the catabolism of fumarate was slow and incomplete in the absence of glutamate.